Toy gun cartridge



Sept. 20, 1949.

K. C. REAM TOY GUN CARTRIDGE Filed Sept. 30, 1947 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 20, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY GUN CARTRIDGEKenneth 0. Beam, Alexander, Kans.

Application September 30, 1947, Serial No. 776,911

3 Claims.

My invention relates to toy guns of the type adapted to simultaneouslylaunch a projectile and simulate the sound of a firearm.

With the foregoingin view, an object of my invention is to provide animproved novel combination of a toy gun and projectile therefore.

A further object is to provide a novel combination of toy gun andprojectile therefor which utilizes the usual paper caps to produce thesound effect and also to provide the force for launching the projectile.

A further object is to provide a novel projectile for atoy gun.

A further object is to provide a novel projectile for a toy gun whichcomprises interfitting separate members, one including means providing afiring chamber and the other including means providing a firing pin, oneof said members being adapted to be projected upon the detonation of thecharge in said firing chamber.

A further object is to provide in a novel combination of a toyprojectile such as that last described of a gun including a chamberseating said projectile, and striker means carried by the gun andadapted to strike the projectile to cause the firing pin thereof todetonate a charge in said firing chamber.

A further object is to provide a novel toy gun of the class described.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of theinvention, combination and arrangement of the several parts thereof,and/or in the particular method or mode of operation, all of which willbe readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to theattached drawings in connection with the following specification,wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through a loaded gunaccording to the invention, parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a front view of the gun of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an element of the gun apart from therest of the structure;

Figure 4 is an elevation of one form of projectile for use in the gun,parts being broken away and shown in longitudinal vertical section;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section through themuzzle end of the gun and a portion of a projectile seated therein, butshowing a modified form of projectile.

Figure 6 is a view like Figure 5, but showing the projectile immediatelyafter firing thereof;

Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section taken 2 substantially on theplane of the line 1-1 of Figure 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, wherein like referencecharacters have been used throughout to designate like parts, illdesignates a barrel for one embodiment of the gun of my invention.Although in the embodiment illustrated, a pistol has been depicted, itis obvious that the principles involved may be as readily applied to arifle, a cannon, or the like. The barrel i0 is of any suitable form andmay be made of any suitable material. Adjacent the rear end of thebarrel Hi there is provided a plate-like rear sight H comprising a peepsight and a front sight I 2 is provided adjacent the muzzle end of thebarrel. Rearwardly of the sight ll there is provided a cylindricalreceptacle l3 closed by any suitable cover l4 which provides a suitablestorage chamher for a supply of paper caps which are preferably used toprovide the propellant charge for the cartridge, to be described later.

The rear end of the barrel I'll is formed with a suitable axial bore l5which opens into a counterbore l6 intermediate the length of the barrelwhich in turn opens into a second counter-bore l1 comprising a cartridgechamber for the gun. The rear end of counterbore l1 comprises an annularshoulder around the front end of the first counterbore It to provide arigid seat for a cartridge to be described later. A striker comprising acylindrical rod 18 is longitudinally reciprocable in the bore [5 andintermediate counter-bore H5. The rear end of the striker l8 extendsoutwardly of the rear end of the gun and is formed with a suitablecocking knob l9. The knob I9 is preferably detachably secured on therear end of the striker I8 in any suitable manner, as by the threadedconnection shown. The forward end of the striker I8 is provided with astriker head 25 which, as shown in Figure 7, is preferably of angularconfiguration whereby to provide air passages around its periphery as itreciprccates in the counter-bore l6. Thus, forward motion of the strikeris not slowed down by compression of air ahead of the head 20.Rearwardly of the head 20 the striker I8 is formed with a reducedsection 2| providing a sear notch for a purpose to be described later.The rear end of the counter-bore l6 merges with the bore l5 to provide asubstantially annular shoulder 22 against which seats one end of a coilspring 23 which is disposed in the counter-bore l6 concentric to theforward end of the striker l8. The forward end of the spring. 23 seatsagainst the inner side of the head 20 whereby the striker I8 is loadedfor movement in a forward direction. The rear under surface of thebarrel I is recessed in any suitable manner, as at 24, to provide a seatfor the upper end of a butt which is formed to provide a hand grip. Theunderside of the barrel I0 and the substantially axial portion of thebutt 25 are formed to provide registering bores 21 and 28, respectivelyfor the reciprocation therein of a scar 33, to be described later. Thefore part of the butt 25 intermediate the ends thereof is provided withan elongated recess 26 for a trigger 30. Th trigger 30 comprises,substantially, a bell crank having a pivot 3| between the vertical sidewalls of the recess 26. The rear arm of the trigger lever is formed toprovide a sear lug 32 which is seated in a trigger notch 34 of the sear33. The sear 33 is substantially cylindrical and has its upper endbeveled, as at 35, and formed with an axially inwardly-extending notch36 which is adapted to seat around the reduced portion or sear notch 2|of the striker |8, whereby to retain the striker IS in a retracted orcooked position. The sear 33 is loaded for movement in a strikerengagingdirection by a suitable spring 37 in the lower part ofthe bore 28 whichis. retained in such bore by a suitable closure 38 for the lower endthereof. The closure 38 may be axially bored, as at 35, for theapplication of suitable lubricant for the sear and/or the striker IS.The trigger 3|}, forwardly of the pivot 3|, is formed to provide anupwardly=directed arcuate trigger pull which comprises the other arm ofthe trigger lever. The butt 25 is secured to the barrel It in anysuitable manner, as by the fastening members 29.

To operate the gun, it is only necessary to pull backwards on thecocking knob I9 of the striker until the reduced portion or sear notch2| is positioned immediately above the sear. At this point, the searspring 31 moves the sear upwardly to engage the notch 36 in the searnotch 2| of the striker, and the latter is retained in a retracted orcooked position. This slight upward movement of the sear swings thetrigger pull Ml downwardly slightly in a counter=clockwise direction. Todischarge the piece, the user grips the butt 25 in the usual manner andsqueezes the trigger pull 40, whereby the same is swung upwardlyslightly in a clockwise direction on the pivot 3 whereby the sear lug 32is depressed and carries with it the sear 33 until the notch 36 thereofis disengaged from the Sear notch 2| of the striker. The striker spring23 now propels the striker I8 forwardly.

Referring now to Figure 4, a preferred form of cartridge 50 for the gunis disclosed. The cartridge 50 is generally cylindrical and of adiameter for a close sliding fit in the forward counter bore I? of thebarrel H). The cartridge is divided substantially intermediate its endsto provide a case section 5| and a projectile section 55. The casesection 5| has a substantially fiat base 52 and a substantially fiatfront face 53 from which extends axially of the case 5| an integral andcylindrical extension 54 comprising a firing pin. The projectile section55 is provided with a substantially flat base 56 whereby to have a closefit against the flat front 53 of the base section. The base 55 of theprojectile section is provided with a cylindrical axial bore 5! in whichthe fire ing pin 54 has a sliding fit. The bore 51 is provided with afloor 58 against which the front end of the firing pin 54 is adapted toseat. The depth of the bore and the length of the firing pin aresubstantially the same, whereby to fit closely 4 together in theunloaded position, as shown in Figure 4. The forward end of theprojectile section 55 is formed with a substantially frustoconical head59 which extends outwardly beyond the sides of the cartridge 50 toprovide a substantially annular rearwardly-facing flange 60 for apurpose to be described later. The forward end of the head 59 ispreferably provided with an axial bore 6| which comprises a socket forthe insertion of any Suitable means, not shown, for attaching anauxiliary, such as a parachute or light toy plane, to the projectile.

In Figures 5 and 6, a modified form of projectile is disclosed whichcomprises a case section 62 and a projectile section 64. In this form ofthe inven' tion the forward face of the case section 62 is provided witha rearwardly-directed axial bore 63, while the rear face of theprojectile section 6 5 is provided with an axially rearwardly-directedfiring pin 65 slidable in the bore 63. As is shown in Fi ure a paper can6tv is; adapted to be inserted in the floor of the bore 63 to provide apropellent charge for the, cartridge. The cartridge disclosed inFigures1 and 2 is essentially the same as that. dis losed in, Figures 5 and 6,except that the head 61 is conical to provide a sharp point 68 ratherthan frusto-conical. As is shown in Figure l, the rearwardly=facingannular flan es 69 of the heads for the projectile section overlie thefront end edges of the muzzle of the barrel ID to provide a seal for theforward counter-bore I! when the projectile is seated therein. a

To fire the projectile from any of the cartridges shown, the striker I8its retracted to the cooked position and retained thereat by the sear33. Any of the cartridges previously described are separated intoseparate case and projectile sections, and one or more. paper caps 66are taken from the magazine Hi and inserted in the bore 51 or 63, as thecase may be. The projectile sections are then reassembled to the casesections so that the firing pins 54 or 65 lightly press the cap or caps66 against the floors of the bores 51 or 63. An assembled cartridge isnow seated in the counter-bore I! of the barrel H) in the position shownin either Figure 1 or Figure 5 and against the annular shoulder or seatat the rear end of such counterbore Upon pulling of the trigger pull4!], the striker is released, as aforesaid, and travels from the Fi ure5 position to the Figure 6 position to strike a sharp blow against therear face of the cartridge case section. Such blow causes relative axialmovement of the case and projectile sections, whereby the appropriatefiring pin impacts against the cap or caps 68 with sufiicient force toexplode the latter. Expansion of gases generated by such explosion inthe confined space of the bore of the cartridge projects the projectilesection of the cartridge forwardly in a well known manner. Of course,the case section of the cartridge is forced rearwardly with equal force,but rearward travel is so limited by the annular shoulder or seat at therear of the cartridge chamber that virtually all of the explosive forceis transmitted to the projectile section of the cartridge. Thus ineffect, the cartridge itself provides the firing chamber and barrel forthe projectile and the counter-bore serves as a barrel only in a limitedsense. The cartridges are preferably made of any suitable material, suchasulight rnetal, plastic, or wood, but are preferably heavy enough towithstand the shock of the explosion and alsoto prevent projection ofthe projectile sections at dangerously high velocities.

Of the two forms of projectiles shown and described, I have found thatthe form disclosed in Figure 4 has a. greater range and is moreaccurate, probably by virtue of a slight rocket efiect produced by therearwardly-directed bore 51 of the projectile section thereof, and thejet effect of the propellent gases issuing rearwardly therefrom. Byattaching toy parachutes or toy planes or the like to the projectilesections in the socket 6|, these may be propelled to a considerabledistance if the number of caps 66 is increased to two or three insteadof one.

The provision of the upwardly-directed trigger pull 40 instead of theconventional downwardlydirected trigger pull is regarded as important inthat I have found that a trigger pull such as here disclosed anddescribed lends itself more readily to squeezing of the trigger, wherebyto maintain the sights aligned on the target more readily than does theconventional trigger pull.

While I have shown and described what is now thought to be the preferredembodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that the same aresusceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently. I do not limitmyself to the precise structures shown and described herein, except ashereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1; In a cartridge for a toy gun adapted to be inserted into the muzzleend of a toy gun, said cartridge including a case section and aprojectile section shaped and dimensioned to snugly fit the bore of saidgun, one of said sections having a projection of reduced dimension, theother section having a bore shaped and dimensioned to snugly receivesaid projection whereby a cap may be inserted in said last-named boreand fired by a blow on the rearmost section.

2. In a cartridge for a toy gun adapted to be and dimensioned to snuglyreceive said projection whereby a cap may be inserted in said lastnamedbore and fired by a blow on said case section.

3. In a cartridge for a toy gun adapted to be inserted into the muzzleend of a toy un, said cartridge including a case section and aprojectile section shaped and dimensioned to snugly fit the bore of saidgun, said projectile section having a rearwardly-directed projection ofreduced dimension, said case section having a bore shaped anddimensioned to snugly receive said projection whereby a cap may beinserted in said last-named bore and fired by a blow on said casesection.

. KENNETH C. BEAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

